{"id":24830,"date":"2014-03-15T21:24:50","date_gmt":"2014-03-16T05:24:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=24830"},"modified":"2014-03-15T21:24:50","modified_gmt":"2014-03-16T05:24:50","slug":"15-playful-habits-kickstart-conflict-resolution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/15-playful-habits-kickstart-conflict-resolution\/","title":{"rendered":"15 Playful Habits to Kickstart Conflict Resolution"},"content":{"rendered":"
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<\/a>Putting play and conflict together may seem like an oxymoron. How on earth does playfulness help when there\u2019s a disagreement? Wouldn’t it make things worse because your counterpart would think you weren’t taking the situation seriously?<\/p>\n

No and here\u2019s why.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Conflicts arise from different, sometimes competing, wants, needs and perspectives. When you get stuck in an argument, it\u2019s because you and the other person(s) have most likely boxed yourselves in with your positions and can\u2019t find a way out.<\/p>\n

This is the point when many people give up and find the problem doesn’t go away. It grows and festers.<\/p>\n

Unaddressed work-related conflicts build tensions not only between you and the person you disagreed with but among other team members as well. That\u2019s because the subject of the disagreement may affect them too. In that case, co-workers will take sides. Important work relationships suffer. Productivity goes down. Your career is compromised.<\/p>\n

Unresolved interpersonal conflicts also create misery and contribute to dysfunctional work or family dynamics. What may have begun as a relatively small issue becomes the foundation for new conflicts that feel bigger than they are. Before long, everyone involved is held hostage by the history of mistrust and patterned reactions.<\/p>\n

It doesn’t have to be that way if you develop habits that help you break out of the box.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The phrase \u201cthink outside the box\u201d has become a useless clich\u00e9. After all, if you feel stymied, this instruction only makes you feel more inadequate.<\/p>\n

Instead, play inside the box. Play with the box. Play around the box. Heck, rip up the box and make something new with it.<\/p>\n

You see, addressing conflict, especially challenging conflict, takes creativity for exploring solutions that work for all concerned. Cultivating habits of playfulness\u2014long before conflict rears its ugly head\u2014awakens your creativity.<\/p>\n

The key word is habit. You want creativity to kick in automatically when you most need it in the early stages of conflict.<\/p>\n

How does a spirit of playfulness pave the path toward conflict resolution?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Play:<\/p>\n